Doctors Krishanth Naidu, Maurice Mulcahy and Amanda Chung said they chose to publish the unusual case 'to create discussion among the medical fraternity given the great management challenge faced by the oddity and infrequency with which a fork is encountered in the penile urethra'.

The added that the motives for inserting objects into such a sensitive region were difficult to comprehend.

According to the report, in a series of 20 adult cases over 9 years, foreign body insertions into the lower urinary tract have a low incidence,with men 1.7 times more likely to engage in the behaviour than women.

They said that practice tends to occur 'during states of pathological masturbation, substanceabuse and intoxication'.

The real danger was infection leading to death, because ashamed patients often delay medical treatment, they said.

Doctors generally try to avoid surgery in such situations, instead choosing an option that would minimise trauma and preserve erectile function.

According to the report, typical symptoms after having inserted a foreign object into the male urethra include lower abdominal pain, penile pain, swelling of glans orbody of penis, inflammation of the urethra, dyspareunia (pain during sex), blood-stained urine, pyuria (pus in urine), increased urinaryfrequency, inability to urinate and fever.